The love of CHRIST was made manifeft, in laying down his life, and enduring the curfe for

us.

The love of the SPIRIT is difcovered and made known to us, by working faith in our hearts, uniting us to CHRIST, and changing us into his image, from glory to glory.

Thus God is love; eternal, immutable, incomprehenfible; Love that passeth knowledge.

It is no marvel then that the Holy Angels with wonder behold, and defire to fee further into this amazing myftery of the love of GoD towards man; who not only gave the Son of his Love to die for us, but as faith the Text, hath alfo fent his Holy Spirit down from heaven, to reveal CHRIST in our hearts, and make us meet for the kingdom of glory. From these words I purpofe to confider.

First, the Office; and, fecondly, the Operations of the HOLY GHOST.

FIRST: The office of the HOLY SPIRIT, CHRIST himself hath plainly fhewed us, in thefe words; be fhall testify of me.The HOLY SPIRIT is one of the three divine persons that bear witness in

heaven.

heaven. And what is the witness but this? That Je-
fus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and that he hath gi-
ven to us eternal life in him. This is the witness of GOD
in heaven, concerning all that believe on the name of
his Son JESUS CHRIST: and his elect fhall obtain
the ineftimable bleffing, and inherit it for ever.➡
The HOLY SPIRIT alfo is fent down from heaven
to bear witness on earth: Therefore faid Jesus to
his Difciples, When the Spirit of truth is come,
whom I will fend unto you from the Father in my
name, be fhall testify of me. Thus he witneffeth to the
truth, as it is in JESUS; and hence he is called the
Spirit of Truth.—
-Now this teftimony of the

SPIRIT is twofold:

1. Negatively he teftifies that there is falvation for mankind, in no other but in JESUS CHRIST; and thro' faith in his blood: Whereby is plainly fignified the guilty, and accursed state man is in by nature; that of himself he hath no help, nor any righteousness wherein to truft: but muft perish for ever without CHRIST, and trusting in him alone for righteousness and life; for all have finned, and come fhort of the glory of God +.

This teftimony is forcible unto conviction in the hearts and confciences of men, whether they receive

+ Rom. iii. 23.

ceive it, or not. Whatever methods, or inftruments GOD makes use of for the fetting forth of this truth, and making it manifeft in the world; it is effectual only by the Spirit. All the Jupernatural gifts and powers, wherewith the Apofties were endued; all the mighty deeds, figns, and miracles, which they did, were every one of them wrought by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT; they were but inftruments in his hand, it was the SPIRIT which fpake in them, and wrought by them: Their preaching CHRIST was in demonftration of the Spirit, and with power +: And hence it became effectual for the regenerating dead finners, working faith in their hearts, and turning them to Gor. What the Apoftles teftified outwardly in the word concerning CHRIST, that the HOLY GHOST teftified inwardly in the hearts of God's chofen; and alfo outwardly to all men, by the gifts of tongues, and of divers miracles, which were for a fign to them that believe not: They therefore who withstood the Apostle's doctrine and teftimony concerning JESUS, and his refurrection, are faid to refift the Holy Ghost ‡.

2. The HOLY SPIRIT teftified pofitively that there is falvation in CHRIST for mankind; thro' faith in his blood; and that whofoever cometh unto God by him, he will not reject: that GOD is rich in mercy

+ 1 Cor. ii. 5.

↑ Acts vii. 51.

unto

unto all, to the Greek, as well as the Jew, that be lieve his word, and call upon him: For there is no refpect of perfons with GOD. Both high and low, rich and poor, male and female, bond and free, are called, and bidden to the Gospel feaft, which GOD, in his divine grace and bounty, hath prepared for the relief, and falvation of needy, deftitute, perishing finners.— -The HOLY GHOST also witneffeth that their fins and offences which believe in JESUS, how great and how many foever they be, are all forgiven them, and shall be remembered no more; for the blood of CHRIST cleanseth from all fin.

This teftimony of the SPIRIT is outward or external, to all men without exception, wherefoever the Gospel comes, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; fo that they' who believe it not, are without excufe: in fome of thefe it is attended with much illumination, and power in the mind and confcience; hence they make a profeffion of faith in CHRIST, and for a while believe, and do many things, tho' not with the heart and the understanding: For this teftimony is internal, effectual, and faving to God's elect only, who therefore receive it, with the whole heart, and abide in the truth;

Heb. x. 17.

truth; looking for the mercy of our Lord JESUS, unto eternal life.

All legal hopes and confidences built our own righteousness and works, are thereby utterly fet afide, and excluded; and CHRIST alone is exalted, and established in our hearts, as the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Thus by the Spirit is the world reproved or convinced of fin, of righteoufnefs, and of judgment: of fin; because they believe not that JESUS CHRIST is the only begotten one of GOD, who having put away fin by the facrifice of himself, is the only Saviour of finners; in whom God, that cannot lie, hath promised, and given eternal life unto all them that believe in his name:-of righteousness, because Chrift hath wrought out, and established righteousness in the earth, having by his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, magnified the law, and made reconciliation for the fins of the people, and is alfo fet down on the FATHER's right hand, having all power in heaven and in earth; therefore his foes must be made his footftool:- of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged: Satan is now proved to be a murderer, liar, and deceiver: and as fuch is caft out of the hearts of GOD's people, where he once held an ufurped dominion,

↑ John i. 6.